Ryo no TELLTALE HEART
by Genma no Ou
Summary: When Hell Kaiser can no longer be Hell Kaiser, he needs a way to start over. Enter Jack Atlus. Can the King help the Kaiser back onto his feet? Let's find out. mated M for language and some content later on.
1. A Fresh Start

**Disclaimer**: The following piece is in no way a claim to ownership of the depicted characters. Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh R, Yu-Gi-Oh GX and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's are owned by TV Tokyo, Konami Corporation and Kazuki Takahashi. The book/poem after which this fanfiction document has taken its name is the property of Edgar Allen Poe. This story as presented is strictly for entertainment purposes, both for its owner and readers.

**Chapter 1 – A New Beginning, the Death of Hell Kaiser**

Beeping. The sound of a heartbeat. Heavy breathing.

Hell Kaiser woke up to find himself in a hospital, wires attached to his chest and his temples. He had no memory of how he had gotten there or why – all he knew was that he was now there. Looking to his left side, his younger brother, Marufuji Sho, was sitting there with his eyes closed and praying, and on his right his fiancé Tenjoin Asuka was doing the same.

"Sho… Asuka…" Hell Kaiser said softly, his throat burning as he did so. As he spoke, the eyes of the two other figures opened; both had tears in their bloodshot eyes, showing the tone had been emotional for some time.

"Brother…" Sho said, reaching forward to hug Hell Kaiser, "You're alright…"

"I never stop fighting," he responded as his brother began to sob. "How long… have I been like this for…?"

"About two days," Asuka replied quietly, almost choked.

"What was I… why did I…?"

"You don't remember, Brother?" Sho asked, pointing over at a closet. Hell Kaiser's black outfit hung there, and on the floor sat his gauntlet-like Duel Disc left over from the Darkness incident.

"I was… dueling…?" Hell Kaiser reached forward and grabbed his forehead, his head hurting from trying to remember. _"Whatever happened, I can't recall... that deck..."_

"Brother, you were dueling me…" was Sho's worried reply. "What else can't you remember?"

"Nothing else, I think," was the man's reply as he sat up. "Sho, the Cyber-Roid Deck you built… how do you feel when you duel with it?"

"What?" was Asuka's reply, but Sho understood.

"I don't feel any pain, if that's what you're asking," Sho explained. "You think that…"

"Whatever was wrong with the Deck, stayed with my version when Darkness… Sho, let's duel."

"What? Why?" was the younger man's only reply.

"When Fubuki wanted to recall what happened to him with Darkness, dueling Judai answered his worries. I want to find out what happened." Getting out of bed, the man undid his wires and walked over to the corner to her his clothes.

"You can't do this!" Asuka yelled. "This is what put you here in the first place! I won't lose you!"

"Then come with us," was the man's reply while he put on his coat and gauntlet. "If something happens to me, I'll get help fast."

"No! I won't help you die!"

"Die? No, I won't die…" Hell Kaiser explained, receiving nothing but a confused look from both others. "Nothing is wrong with my heart. All that's caused is pain. Crippling pain, yes, but just pain. It's not fatal."

"But you…"

"There's no point in arguing Asuka," Sho declared, putting on his Duel Disc. "I learned long ago that if Brother wants to do something, no one and nothing can stop him."

"Let's go, Sho," Hell Kaiser said, acting confident to lighten the mood. "Cyber-Roid versus Cyber-Reverse Style. We'll see which is superior."

"Indeed," Sho shot back, also trying to cheer up.

* * *

Standing on the sidelines, Asuka watched in anxiety while both Hell Kaiser and Sho pulled hands. "Ready, Brother?" Sho asked.

"Yes," Hell Kaiser said, both players drawing 5 cards.

"DUEL!"

Sho: LP 4000

Hell Kaiser: LP 4000

"I'll go first," Hell Kaiser said, drawing a card. He quickly saw it was Recharged Damage. Looking at the rest of his hand, he saw Cyber Dragon, Power Bond, Bomber Dragon, Fusion Release and Cyber Giraffe. "I Summon Bomber Dragon (DEF: 0)."

In front of Hell Kaiser, a blue vortex released a dark-blue dragon with a yellow underside, 2 claws on each wing and an egg-like bomb in its hands. "I set one card. I end my turn."

"Draw!" Sho yelled confidently, his vigor since inheriting the Deck showing strongly. "I Special Summon Cyber Dragon (ATK: 2100)!" Behind Sho rose up a silvery metal snake-dragon with a fan-like tail tip and wires on wither side of its head. "Next I summon Drillroid (ATK: 1600)." Beside Sho then rose up a drill tank-like monster with eyes, a drill nose and drill hands.

"When Drillroid attacks a Defence Position monster," Sho declared, "it is destroyed and there is no Damage Calculation. Go, Drillroid! Attack Bomber Dragon!" Pointing at the blue dragon, the drill tank charged it and started all 3 drills. When they struck the dragon, it exploded instantly. "Now, Cyber Dragon! Direct attack! Evolution Burst!"

Rearing back, the serpent machine roared before launching a blast of blue energy from its moth at Hell Kaiser. The beam shot straight through his abdomen, making the man yell out in severe pain before he clutched his chest, right over his heart, with his left hand. "Big Brother!" Sho screamed, panicking about what he had done.

Sho: LP 4000

Hell Kaiser: LP 1900

"Brother… I'm sorry…" Sho whimpered, worried his brother would be angry. Instead, Hell Kaiser merely grunted and straightened up, releasing his heart and pointing to the set card on his left. At that time, black veins appeared surrounding his face and mouth and ending on his neck.

"Trap Card Open! Recharged Damage! I received 2 successful attacks, so I draw 3 cards!" Pulling his three cards, he saw Attack Reflector Unit, Sixth Sense and Cyber Dragon.

Looking at his own hand, Sho took 3 cards - Life Force, Damage Polarilyzer and Trap Snatch - and placed them in slots. "I set 2 cards and end my turn." _"Big Brother... hang in there."_

"Draw!" Hell Kaiser said, wasting no time in reaching for a card already in his hand. "I activate Power Bond! I fuse 2 Cyber Dragons from my hand!" Pulling up the two cards and placing them into the Cemetery slot, two of Sho's metal dragons appeared and were struck by blue lightning, making them meld into a two-headed machine dragon with one spiky neck and one covered in wires.

"Meet Cyber Twin Dragon (ATK: 2800). And now, by the effect of Power Bond, Cyber Twin Dragon adds its Original ATK to its ATK a second time (ATK: 5600)! Next, I Summon Cyber Giraffe." Beside the larger dragon formed a mechanical lion-like creature that roared at Sho."

"Cyber Twin Dragon! Attack Drillroid!" One of the two mouths of the machine dragon opened and shot blue energy, but Sho was unshaken as he flipped a card.

"Permanent Trap: Life Force! By paying 400 Life Points, my Battle Damage becomes 0!" A blue barrier instantly surrounded Sho as his drill creature was blasted to pieces. Sho's Life Points then dropped, but only 10% of what he would have lost.

"Cyber Twin Dragon, attack Cyber Dragon!" The other mouth of the creature opened and shot a blue beam at its counterpart, exploding it as Sho once again invoked the force field. "Instant Magic: Fusion Release!" The silver two-headed dragon disappeared, then the two that had spawned it appeared in its place. "Double Direct attack!"

"Life Force!" Sho issued, the barrier blocking direct blasts from both mechanical dragons.

"Cyber Giraffe, direct attack!" The mechanical lion ran forward and sliced across Sho's chest. The barrier did not form because the damage was less than the payment to stop it, so he let it through. After the attack, the lion returned to beside Hell Kaiser while Sho's Life Points finally fell.

Sho: LP 2100

Hell Kaiser: LP 1900

"Trap Card Open: Trap Snatch!" Sho issued, surprising his older brother. "In a turn in which the opponent destroys all monsters I control, I may exclude one Trap Card from the opponent's Cemetery to use its effect! I select Recharged Damage!" The card then slid out of Hell Kaiser's Cemetery slot, Sho looking confident while Hell Kaiser looked in interest.

"I see. That's why you used Life Force instead of stopping my attacks," the older brother interpreted.

"I draw 6 cards!" Sho said, grabbing a large amount of cards from his deck and adding them to his hand.

"By releasing Cyber Giraffe," Hell Kaiser then added as his monster dissolved, "I take no effect damage this turn. I set 2 cards. I end my turn."

"My turn," Sho issued. "Draw! I summon Proto Cyber Dragon (ATK: 1100)!" A dark grey mechanical serpent covered in orange wires. "Next, I activate Power Bond!" Holding up two cards from his hand, they were revealed as Cyber Dragons as the blue lightning came down on them all.

"I get it," Asuka said to herself. "Proto Cyber Dragon is treated as Cyber Dragon while face-up on the field. Therefore…" _"Sho has changed. He's gained his Big Brother's skills and confidence."_

"I Fusion Summon… Cyber End Dragon (ATK: 4000)!" Up from behind Sho rose up a gigantic mechanical serpent-dragon with large fan-like wings and three different necks and heads. "Next, Power Bond increases its ATK by its original ATK (ATK: 8000)."

"You used my own combo on me?" Hell Kaiser asked, slightly annoyed and yet amused at the same time.

"Cyber End Dragon, attack Cyber Dragon!" All three heads of the gigantic machine began to collect power in their mouths, and then Hell Kaiser flashed a cynical smile.

"I won't falter. Trap Activate: Attack Reflector Unit!" A card then flipped up behind one of the machine dragons, making that one disappear. "By releasing Cyber Dragon, I Special Summon Cyber Barrier Dragon (ATK: 800)!" A longer white machine dragon with red streaks on an octagonal hood with 4 jet-like wings, a turbine-like tail tip and several blades on its body appeared, its head retracting and forming a green force field.

"Then my attack it negated," Sho observed, his dragon's blast striking the green barrier and stopping short. Then, the other monster's wings retracted and its head came back forward, the force field now down. "I set 2 cards."

"During your End Phase, Sho," Hell Kaiser pointed out, "Power Bond deals you 4000 damage!"

"Counter Trap!" Sho declared. "Damage Polarilyzer! I negate a damage effect and we both draw one card." And with that both brothers pulled another card. "I end my turn."

Reaching for his deck for his turn, Hell Kaiser was stopped short when he heard a dark voice say, _"Win at all costs..."_ Then without warning, a black aura shot off the deck and consumed his image. Through it both Sho and Asuka could hear him screaming out in pain, but neither one could think of what to do.

"Big Brother!" Sho yelled out, the dark aura all of a sudden dying away. Once again Hell Kaiser was clutching his chest, but this time across his rib cage like he had been slugged there. Black veins had grown like roots off the deck and covered him and the duel disc from head to toe, reminding Sho of Fubuki's Duel with Judai their third year. With no mask on his face, though, Hell Kaiser's eyes were revealed as being bloodshot.

"Draw!" Hell Kaiser said angrily, in a voice deeper and more hostile than normal before pointing to his other set card. "Trap Card: Sixth Sense! I now select 2 numbers between 1 and 6, and I choose 5 and 6. Now, a number is selected at random." A ring of 6 orbs labeled with the Kanji Ichi (1), Ni (2), San (3), Yon (4), Go (5) and Roku (6) formed behind the Trap Card, and then they began to flash in a clockwise motion until the Roku orb lit up.

"Because the result is a number I selected, I now draw that many cards." Pulling 6 cards from his Deck, he immediately held up a card and activated it. "Instant Magic: Shrink! I make Cyber End Dragon's Original ATK half of normal (ATK: 6000)." A light blue aura formed around the metal three-headed dragon while it roared out over losing its power.

"Brother's… weakening my dragon to defeat it," Sho realized.

"Magic Activate: Painful Choice! I select 5 monsters from my Deck as follows: Cyber Dark Horn, Cyber Dark Edge, Cyber Dark Keel, Ultimate Gem God – Rainbow Dark Dragon, and finally Hell Dragon!" Throwing the five cards up into the air, their images appeared behind him in translucent fashion.

"_If I pick a Cyber Dark, it will have only 1800 ATK. If I pick Hell Dragon, it's useless. But I know he wants to have Rainbow Dark Dragon in the Cemetery."_ "I select to add Rainbow Dark Dragon to your hand." The named card then appeared in Hell Kaiser's hand as the other 4 appeared in his Cemetery Slot, one by one sliding into the Disc's chamber.

"Magic Activate: Cost Down! By discarding Cyber Laser Dragon," Hell Kaiser then declared as he put the card into the Cemetery slot, "all monsters in my hand lose 2 cards. Next, by discarding my Level 8 Rainbow Dark Dragon, I activate Trade In to draw 2 cards." Placing the mentioned card into the Cemetery, he then pulled another 2 cards and smiled darkly.

"Brother… what did you draw?" Sho asked, still shaken by his brother's state.

Hell Kaiser merely grinned sadistically before saying, "Your demise. Magic Activate: Cyberdark Impact! From the Cemetery, I return the three Cyber Dark Monsters to the Deck to Fusion Summon Armoured Black Dragon – Cyber Dark Dragon (ATK: 1000)!"

As his Cemetery slot glowed, the three cards each slid out and their forms appeared behind him. A dark brown dragon-like machine with 4 clawed limbs, a massive maw with 4 horns and frames of wings appeared first, roaring like a mechanical lion. Second was a dark green dragonfly-like monster with 4 long blades on each wing, 4 green limbs, a single eye and a tail ending in forked claws. Finally, a dark grey serpent with four wires on its body also appeared, snarling as it bore its toothy mouth.

With a sudden flash, sparks began to fly as the three monsters rose up into the air. The brown monster closed its mouth before its tail morphed into a connecting device, and the dragonfly behind it folded its plate-like face down so that a port formed to take up the part. Its tail then split apart vertically and retracted into a pair of two-spiked side plates while the serpent folded its face and head into the widest segment of its body, which then slipped in place. Finally, the maw opened up to reveal a green-eyed, leathery grey face as the monster roared loudly.

"When Cyber Dark Dragon is Summoned, I can equip it with 1 Dragon-type monster from my Cemetery to have it gain that monster's ATK onto itself. I choose to equip Rainbow Dark Dragon (ATK: 5000)!" Rising up from the ground in a burst of blackness, the long grey serpent dragon with black-feathered wings and four red eyes let out a massive roar before the machine dragon descended upon it and grabbed it with 8 claws, attaching yellow wires to its temples to paralyze it and drain its power.

"And next, for every monster in my Cemetery, it gains 100 ATK. Currently, that number is 5 (ATK: 5500)!"

"But still brother," Sho pointed out calmly, "Cyber End still has more ATK."

"I'm well aware of that," Hell Kaiser sneered, before once again grabbing his chest in pain and staggering a little. Releasing his heart, he pulled another card. "Magic Activate: Donated Power! By releasing Cyber Dragon, I add its ATK to that of Cyber Dark Dragon, and then Cyber Dark Dragon gains 100 more ATK (ATK: 7700)!" Disappearing into a cloud of energy, the silver machine dragon's power was absorbed by the larger composite dragon, which roared loudly.

"Instant Magic: Cyclone! I destroy Life Force!" A vortex of wind then appeared from the card's image, consuming Sho's permanent trap and shattering it. The younger man then looked nervous for his situation, but still held his ground. "Ready to lose, Sho?" Hell Kaiser hostilely asked.

"I'm not done yet brother!"

"We'll see about that. Battle!" Roaring and raising its head, the composite dragon began to form an orb of dark energy in its jaws, but before it could go through with the move Hell Kaiser once again clutched over his heart and fell onto its knees.

"_No... I can't do this..."_ his voice echoed in his head. _"All this time I've let the Deck duel for me... This lust for power... I need to break the cycle..."_ As he tried to regain some control, he began to remember what he had gone through with this deck.

"_The only thing that matters to me is victory,"_ he had told his brother years ago, during the Genex Tournament. _"I have no desire for respect. Only by obtaining victory, can I, as you put it, respect victory! I'll be uncouth if I have to, or even disgraceful. I don't care what anyone else says about it!"_

"_This is the power of the Cyber-Style Heir who was reborn from the Depths of Hell,"_ he had said to Johan the following year, and when he dueled him possessed by Yubel he had added, _"Until now I have only dueled for the thrill of victory, but now I have escaped from that strain. I've wandered through Hell as Hell Kaiser, and now I no longer live for the thrill of victory or the fear of defeat... but for the desire to brighten this moment."_

Finally, when he had dueled Inotsume Makoto, he had sworn that he would fight until the end with that Deck. But he never did; he passed it on to Sho. Perhaps… perhaps it no longer had and use for its old master when the new one was so much more free and original.

All of a sudden, it came flooding back to him…

***

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer said to an arena filled with people. "The time has come for the Cyber-Style Pro League's first match to begin. Brother Duel: Marufuji Sho versus Marufuji "Hell Kaiser" Ryo!"

The audience cheered wildly as both Sho and Hell Kaiser stepped into the arena, Hell Kaiser with his arms crossed. Spot lights shone down on both of them, but neither one of them did anything right away.

"Duel: Start!" AS though on hair triggers, both of them raised their arms and activated their Duel Discs, drawing 5 cards quickly.

***

"I… remember…" Hell Kaiser uttered out, only to be consumed by a blazing field of darkness. Standing up, his entire body went rigid as the pain began to affect his ability to think…

"Brother!" Sho yelled, deciding to run to his brother to try and help him. When he got near the aura, though, black and red electricity kicked up and knocked him back.

"What's going on?!" Asuka asked in agony.

"I… don't know…" was all Sho said.

***

It was late in the game and the fans had begun to cheer almost exclusively for Sho. Hell Kaiser stood with no cards in his hand, only 5 cards left in his Deck and one set card on his field. On Sho's field was Cyber End Dragon (ATK: 8000), two set cards and no hand.

Hell Kaiser: LP 1000

Sho: LP 4000

"Draw!" Hell Kaiser declared, pulling a card. "Trap Card Open: Sixth Sense! I select 5 and 6!" As soon as he called out his two numbers, the orbs appeared and the one labeled 4 lit up. "Because it only showed 4, I send 4 cards to the Cemetery." Pulling the last of his Deck, he placed it into the Cemetery slot, only to receive an invisible shock.

"What are you doing?" Sho asked, looking on at his brother in awe as to why he'd be so reckless.

"Magic Card: Overload Fusion! From my Cemetery I exclude the 15 Machines in my Deck!" Almost every monster in his Cemetery slid out, a massive explosion taking place behind him in the process. Placing them in his pocket, up from the ground appeared a dark grey serpentine machine body that suddenly sprouted six heads with metal necks.

"Fusion Summon! Rise, Chimeratech Over Dragon (ATK: ?). Next, it receives 800 ATK for every Fusion Material Monster I used (ATK: 12000)!" The fans in the audience then began to cheer out his name, but the thrill of it all faded away instantly when he felt a shocking sensation throughout his body, making him clutch his heart in pain.

"Brother!" Sho yelled out, realizing what was going on.

"_This... again. Why? The Deck is new, fresh. Why...?"_

"Chimeratech, attack Cyber End Dragon! Evolution Result Blast!" All six heads of the massive machine then formed dark blue orbs of energy in their jaws, but before they could follow through Hell Kaiser fell onto his knees and right forearm. Gritting his teeth and grunting, he tried to use his left fist to prop himself back up, but only managed to cough up a mouthful of blood.

"No, this is no good! Brother!" By the time he said this, Sho was already running full-speed ahead toward Hell Kaiser, who collapsed face-down before he could make it there.

***

"No!" Hell Kaiser yelled out. "I will not give in!" Releasing his chest, he stood up tall and gained a confident and aggressive pose, staring down at his Duel Disc. "For too long I've had to fulfill the will of this Deck, winning at all costs to attain ultimate power. Now it's my turn. Cyber Reverse-Style Deck, you will obey me!"

Mere seconds later, red electricity began to surge over his whole body, making him tense up but not scream of falter. "Brother…" Sho asked in concern. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," Hell Kaiser issued, looking up at his brother. "I've been through far worse. But I'm afraid you and I will have to finish this duel later."

"You're resigning?" Sho asked in confusion, getting a nod in reply.

"What?" Asuka asked. "You live for the duel!"

"If Hell Kaiser cannot get this Deck to obey," the man answered, "then Hell Kaiser has nothing. But Marufuji Ryo, heir to the Cyber-Style… maybe _he _can."

"But you're the same person!" Sho yelled in disbelief, getting a headshake in reply this time.

"Hell Kaiser is who I became, but he is not me. He is not who I am. I am not Hell Kaiser, and I am not Darkness. I am Marufuji Ryo!" With that triumphant message, he grabbed the gauntlet Duel Disc with his right hand and yanked it clean off his arm, causing it to fall to the ground a few feet to his right and the Solid Vision to freeze and go blurry, almost like television static.

"Ryo," Asuka whispered.

"Hell Kaiser dies here," Ryo said as the black veins over his face and body dissolved and the veins of his eyes softened and faded out. "And now, Marufuji Ryo will finish what he started… and start over with a new duel… a new future…" Ryo then fell onto his knees, before further falling forward onto his face. The veins of the Duel Disc, which were ragged on their ends, grew them over so that they covered it as a self-contained piece, and the Solid Vision the fully stopped.

"Brother…" Sho yelled, running to his brother's side to help him up. Ryo had not passed out, but it had cost him a lot of energy to overcome the Cyber Dark influence, and more to overthrow the grip of Darkness it held. The only cards he still had was the card from his hand, which had fallen when he straightened out the taloned fingers of the gauntlet to take it off. Those cards now laid face-up, for Sho to see.

"What do you think?" Ryo asked with a smile as Sho looked at it in disbelief. "I'm always one step ahead." In his hand three of the four cards had little use – Cybernetic Zone, Treasure from Another Dimension and Donated Power did him little good, but the remaining one changed Sho's perception of how the Duel would have ended

"Brother, you…"

"The card you set was Magic Cylinder," Ryo stated matter-of-factly. "A clever ploy, unless the opposing hand holds Spell of Pain."

"You knew my strategy all along," Sho realized as Asuka ran up to her fiancé's side, grabbing him and helping him stand so Sho could stand free.

"You had Magic Cylinder set last time, didn't you?" Ryo asked.

"How… did you know?"

"The Deck had to win at all costs, remember?" Ryo said, closing his eyes and turning to one side. "Last time, I would have lost because of my mismanagement of my own cards, so before I made the same mistake again…"

"…The Deck tried to take over," Sho finally realized. "Darkness… he awakened the sentience of the Deck, didn't he?" When Ryo nodded in reply, Sho added, "That's why it made you look like him."

"Indeed. That Deck is poisonous to its user now. I need to find a way to deal with it. But for now…" He cut out, managing to stand free enough of Asuka to step over and get the Duel Disc, "…I'm done."

"What? You're quitting dueling?" Asuka asked in dismay. "That's not you at all."

"I'm not quitting," Ryo answered. "I'm 'subbing out' for the time being. I need time to start over, to clear my head and find a new path." Turning around to face the other two he added, "You understand, don't you?"

Both his fiancée and his brother nodded.

* * *

Jack sat in his loft on his couch, his silver-coloured boots resting on the table, as he reached for the remote to the television. Turning it on, the news channel is what immediately came up.

"Uproar in the Dueling Community today," the Anchor Woman spoke, "As Marufuji 'Hell Kaiser' Ryo announces he is temporarily going on hiatus from the Professional Dueling World."

"What?" Jack asked himself, a mere split second before Ryo himself came on the television, a microphone in his face. He was wearing a dark grey suit with a red tie, clearly just on fir the interview, and his green hair was done back in a ponytail.

"I've gotten tired of the Deck I'm running now," the Ryo answered simply, clearly in reply to a question that had been asked off-screen. "It no longer reflects my style the way I want it to. Until I know what I need, I can't work up the desire to duel with it anymore."

A frenzy of yelling from the interviewers then rose up, but one question stood out among them. "Mr. Marufuji," a man asked off-screen, holding a new microphone up to the duelist, "You recently collapsed at a match in the Pro League. Did that influence your decision to leave?"

"It was a factor, yes," Ryo answered, "But I'm not leaving. I will be back." With that he stepped down from the podium he was standing at and got into his limo, driving off.

"What the hell is this?" Jack asked himself, getting up off the couch, he walked over to the door and left.

* * *

Back at Ryo's penthouse, he sat in a reclining chair dressed in his house coat and reading a novel, when he heard a loud knocking at the door. It sounded as though someone were punching the door instead of using the latch, and so he knew who it was. "Come in Jack," he said, prompting the blond to thrust open the door like a police officer busting down a locked garage door.

"You know," Ryo said as he stood up, putting down his book, "I do keep the door unlocked."

"What the hell are you thinking?!" Jack yelled at Ryo, grabbing his hair band and pulling it out to make his ponytail fall out. "You're one of the top Duelists in the world, and you just throw it away?"

"I'm sorry…" Ryo asked, believing Jack to be overreacting. "Who gets to make that decision?"

"You can't slap your fans in the face like this!" Jack issued.

"I almost died for my fans," Ryo retorted. "Now I'm resurrecting for my fans, and myself." Pointing over into the corner, Jack saw the black talon Duel Disc covered in its black veins, which shocked him.

"What the fuck…?"

"The Deck Darkness gave me tried to overthrow me to win," Ryo informed. "It was willing to kill me to win. I can't let that happen."

"Then what will you do?"

"Well, Jack," Ryo informed. "That's where you come in. I knew my press conference would draw your attention. I want your help in starting over. I want to be the champ, but only on my own terms. Surely you of all people understand."

"I do," Jack nodded. "So let's get started." Ryo then smiled as the two men then fist-bumped.

**Card of the Week – Hell Kaiser/Ryo**

**Sixth Sense**

**Attribute:** Trap

**Type(s):** Normal Trap Card

**Effect:** Declare two numbers between 1 and 6, and roll one six-sided die. If the result is a number you declared, draw that many cards. If not, send that many cards from your Deck to the Graveyard.

* Maybe some controversy here, but oh well. All in the name of entertainment. Review if you wish.*


	2. The New Kaiser

**Disclaimer**: The following piece is in no way a claim to ownership of the depicted characters. Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh R, Yu-Gi-Oh GX and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's are owned by TV Tokyo, Konami Corporation and Kazuki Takahashi. The book/poem after which this fanfiction document has taken its name is the property of Edgar Allen Poe. This story as presented is strictly for entertainment purposes, both for its owner and readers.

**Chapter 2 – The New Kaiser, Dragunity vs. Red Daemon**

"This is the last of my collection," Ryo noted, placing a stack of cards on the coffee table and fanning them out. Standing opposite him with his arms crossed, Jack looked on in interest at Ryo's collaboration of well over 1,000 cards apart from his own Deck.

"What do we have to choose from?" Jack asked, trying to think of the best option. In response, Ryo crossed his own arms over the black leather trench coat and began to think deeply to himself.

"Most of these cards aren't well-themed," the black-clad duelist sighed. "The Cyber-Style is the only Deck I've ever built, and those cards are now off limits."

"Unfortunate." Glancing off to the side, Jack quickly glimpsed the Cyber Reverse-Style Deck, covered in its black vines, and thought of the power it held. Then, a glimmer shone from within the pile of cards that made him pull a certain one from the group, pulling it free. "Dragunity Knight – Gale Rider?"

"Dragunity is a theme based around equipping Dragons to Birds," Ryo noted. "I've seen it played, but I don't possess enough to make a full Deck of it."

"Shame," Jack somberly noted, putting down the monster. "A Level 10 Synchro Monster is a rare gem of a card, and indeed a terrible thing to waste."

Smiling slightly out of nowhere, Ryo snapped his fingers and noted, "I might just have something. The Deck… I saw it run competitively some time ago."

"Did it run well?" Jack asked.

"It gave me a run for my money, along with Ryukishi Kyojo," was the reply. For a second Jack remembered the older, hard core Riding Duelist, before his attention returned to the moment.

"Do you know the person why played it very well?"

"I do," Ryo noted, turning to Jack as he twisted his loose hair into a ponytail again. "He was my apprentice for some time. He came to me a graduate of Duel Academia, and I gave him a chance to become a Pro Duelist. He's since stopped running the Deck."

"What are you thinking of doing?" Jack questioned, thinking he likely knew the answer but wanted to hear it for confirmation.

"Right now? That I need to grab my cheque book." Turning and walking away, he stepped over to his study in the next room to grab said item, followed closely by the blond duelist. While there, he also pulled a small credit card-like item and stuffed it into his pocket before turning to leave.

"What was that?" Jack pondered.

"D-Wheel License," Ryo answered, grabbing a helmet from underneath a chair before doing up the belts on his coat, which he normally left hanging. He then grabbed his house keys while Jack grabbed his own helmet, and they stepped out the door into the elevator after Ryo locked the door behind them.

"I didn't know you rode," Jack said simply.

"With the economy in rough condition, it's cheaper than owning a car. Besides, it gave Yusei the money."

"You bought a D-Wheel from Yusei?"

"Of course. He's a good friend with great quality and honest policies."

"True." When the elevator door opened, both men stepped out into the parking lot and walked down until Ryo stopped at a black Motorcycle-like D-Wheel and got on, pulling a helmet resting on the seat over his head. In the opposite space was Wheel of Fortune; Jack had parked near it without realizing whose it was.

"You ready?" Ryo asked as Jack got on his own D-Wheel and put on his helmet.

"Ready."

* * *

Sitting in a leather chair in a dressing room at the Duel Stadium, a man with brown hair in an army cut and slightly effeminate eyes, dressed in a navy outfit with an Obelisk Blue-like coat on, fanned through his Deck. His winning streak in the Pro Leagues had recently hit a brick wall, having won 10 consecutive matches followed by 3 recent losses. Now he began to question the validity of this Deck, wondering about whether or not he even belonged here…

Suddenly, there was a knock on his dressing room door. "Come in," the man declared, only to be surprised when Ryo and Jack stepped in the door. "Jack Atlus? Hell Kaiser?"

"I'm just going by Ryo now, Sorano," Ryo said simply, Jack standing behind him with his attitude reserved and his arms crossed. "Jack, this is Sorano Taigo."

"Pleased," Jack said simply, to which Sorano smiled before turning back to Ryo.

"What brings you here?" he asked, prompting Ryo to pull out the Gale Rider card from his pocket. "Dragunity? I stopped running that deck years ago."

"I'm not offering you the card," Ryo retorted. "I'm here to buy the Deck."

"What?" Sorano asked as the green-haired duelist pulled out his cheque book. He then pulled out a pen as well and wrote a number down.

"Will this do?" Ryo asked, tearing the slip from the book and handing it to Sorano. The brown-haired man looked at it for a mere second before he burst out cheerily and said,

"Yes sir!"

* * *

Standing on the roof of the apartment building with his arms crossed, Ryo waited with an Academia Duel Disc on his arm for Jack to show up for a designated practice round. Standing to his left, Sho and Asuka looked on in anticipation while Ryo looked through the Deck he now held, before shuffling it and placing it in the powered-down device.

Suddenly, the door to the roof opened up and Jack stepped out, his long Blade Disc strapped to his arm, followed closely by Yusei and Crow. The two followers stepped over to where the others were, while Jack took up a stance opposite Ryo and put his Deck in his Duel Disc.

"Pleased to see you decided to appear," Ryo noted, smiling and briefly closing his eyes.

Jack simply bellowed in retort, "It is the duty of the King to take on all challenges set before him." Both players then raised their left arms, causing Ryo's Duel Disc to extend its blade and Jack's to power up. Both of them then pulled 5 cards and yelled,

"DUEL!"

Ryo: LP 4000

Jack: LP 4000

"Draw!" Ryo declared, pulling an extra card in doing so. "Magic Activate: Cost Down! By discarding 1 card from my hand, I reduce the Level of all monsters in my hand by 2 for this turn!" Pulling one of his card and flipping it around, he added, "I discard Dragunity – Powered Vice."

"Impressive," Jack noted with crossed arms as Ryo placed the mentioned card in the Cemetery chute, where the motor pulled it into the Disc's body.

"Now that it is Level 3 instead of Level 5," Ryo added, flipping another card, "I Summon Dragunity – Cross Wing (ATK: 2300)!" From a blue vortex that formed behind Ryo emerged a Tengu-like monster with 4 red-feathered wings, an eagle-like face with legs ending in talons and arms like eagle's legs.

"What… is that monster?" Crow asked.

"A Dragunity monster," Yusei noted, "is a Bird that uses Dragons for its power."

"When this monster is successfully summoned," Ryo informed as his Cemetery glowed and he held up his arm, "I may equip 1 WIND Dragon-type monster in my Cemetery to this card, and increase its ATK by half that of the equipped Dragon. Come, Powered Vice!"

From below the eagle-like creature emerged a large, muscular dragon of dark grey scales and red armour that included massive bladed wings and a pair of arms resembling vice grips. Coming up from behind it, the Tengu grabbed the muscular upper arms of the dragon and wrapped its lower wings around the waist of the dragon.

"Powered Vice holds 2100 ATK, so the ATK of Cross-Wing increases by 1050 (ATK: 3350). I set 1 card. Permanent Magic: Arms Drop. I end my turn."

"Draw!" Jack declared, pulling a card from his Deck before revealing one from his hand. "I Special Summon Vice Dragon (ATK: 1000)!" Rising up in front of Jack was a large, dinosaur-like purple dragon with green ragged membrane for its wings and massive forearms. "Next I summon Magna Drago (ATK: 1400)!"

Also appearing beside the purple dragon was a smaller, red dragon with brown wings and tusks in its lower jaw. The monster growled at Ryo, who glared at it calmly, before Jack continued. "I Tune my Level 2 Magna Drago to my Level 5 Vice Dragon!" The red dragon breathed out 2 white orbs before exploding, which turned into 2 green rings that surrounded the purple dragon.

The purple dragon was turned into a yellow outline version of itself, which breathed out 5 white orbs before disappearing. The orbs then formed a vertical formation that changed into a white column of light. From this emerged a dark grey dragon with orange wing membranes, a large hump behind its short neck and broad head, abnormally long legs and thick arms and tail.

"Synchro Summon: Explode Wing Dragon (ATK: 2400)! And next, Magic Activate: Stamp Destruction!"

"_Those cards,"_ Yusei realized to himself as he noticed Jack was using cards he normally passed on. _"Is he using that guy's Deck?"_

"I destroy Powered Vice and deal the opponent 500 damage!" From the card that formed erupted a pressure wave that struck the large dragon, making it explode in the grasp of the Tengu.

Ryo: LP 3500

Jack: LP 4000

"And next, when Explode Wing Dragon attacks a monster of less ATK than itself," Jack informed, "it is automatically destroyed and the opponent receives its ATK as damage. Explode Wing Dragon, attack Cross Wing!" A huge fireball instantly formed in the dragon's mouth and launched at the Tengu, destroying it and making a shockwave that forced Ryo to cover his face.

Ryo: LP 1200

Jack: LP 4000

"Trap Card Open!" Ryo declared, flipping his set card. "Sixth Sense! I declare numbers 5 and 6!" Six orbs bearing the Kanji of numbers 1-6 appeared behind Ryo and lit up one by one. Eventually, the one bearing 5 lit up. "Now I can draw 5 cards!"

"Main Phase 2," Jack declared as Ryo drew, "Permanent Magic: Future Fusion. I select F.G.D., and so I send 5 Dragons from my Deck to my Cemetery. I select Strong Wind Dragon, Dread Dragon, Vice Dragon, Tyrant Dragon and Masked Dragon." Showing all 5 monsters, Jack placed them into his Cemetery slot. "I set 1 card and end my turn."

"Draw," Ryo declared, pulling a card before spinning it around. "I activate the effect of Arms Drop. During the Draw Phase, when I draw a Dragon-type Dragunity monster, I can discard it and draw 1 new card. I Discard Dragunity – Phalanx." Placing said card into the Cemetery, he reached for his Deck again and grabbed the card.

"You think your next pull will be any better?" Jack asked.

"Let's find out. Draw!" Ryo challenged, pulling his card before instantly placing it horizontally. "I Summon Dragunity – Guardwing (DEF: 2000)!" Emerging in front of Ryo was a crouching blue bird-like humanoid, which crossed its wings over its own body as it crouched defensively.

"When this monster is successfully summoned, I can send 1 Dragon-type Dragunity monster from the Deck to the Cemetery to equip my existing one with a Dragon-type Dragunity monster from my Cemetery. I select Dragunity – Phalanx."

The card of a monster known as Dragunity – Black Spear instantly slid out from the Duel Disc, and so he grabbed it and inserted it into the Cemetery. Then, the mentioned card slid back out, only to be grabbed and placed in its proper slot behind the bird-man. Behind it then appeared the form of a silvery dragon with an armoured body and segmented wings.

"I activate the effect of Dragunity – Phalanx," Ryo declared, pulling the card back out of the Magic & Trap Card Slot. "When it is equipped to a monster I control, I may Special Summon it (ATK: 500)!" Slapping the card on a Monster Zone on the tray, the dragon then rose from behind the bird-man to appear beside it.

"I Tune my Level 2 Dragunity – Phalanx to my Level 4 Dragunity – Guardwing!" The silvery dragon slashed its sword-like arm to produce 2 white orbs that changed into green wings before it disappeared. These rings surrounded the bird-man and converted it into 4 white orbs, which combined into a vertical column of light.

"He's managed to Synchro Summon on the second turn," Crow said ecstatically. "This is great!"

"Perhaps," Yusei noted solemnly, "but only if he can make up for lost advantage from Jack."

"Synchro Summon!" Ryo yelled as a black-coloured humanoid bird riding a silvery serpentine dragon rose up from the light. "Rise: Dragunity Knight – Gaelborg (ATK: 2000)!"

"An impressive effort," Jack roared, "but your Dragunity Knight has less ATK than Explode Wing Dragon (ATK: 2400)!"

"I activate the effect of Dragunity Knight – Gaelborg!" Ryo declared, at the same time a card from earlier sliding out of his Cemetery. "By excluding Cross-Wing from the game, until the End Phase, Gaelborg gains its ATK (ATK: 4300)!"

"What?" Jack yelled in disbelief.

"Gaelborg, attack Explode Wing Dragon! Cyclone Spear!" As its dragon roared, the bird-man riding it drew a lance-like object and aimed it at the grey dragon before Jack, creating a cyclonic burst that struck it and destroyed it. Jack was forced to cover his eyes with his Duel Disc as the shockwave hit him.

Ryo: LP 1200

Jack: LP 2100

"I set 2 cards," Ryo declared. "End Phase: my Dragunity Knight's ATK returns to normal (ATK: 2000). Your turn, Jack."

"Draw!" Jack declared, violently pulling a card. "I summon Dark Resonator (DEF: 300)." Placing the card down, a gremlin-like monster wielding a tuning fork and a glass orb on a staff, complete with symbols on its back, appeared before Jack and turned blue. "I end my turn."

"Draw!" Ryo declared. "I activate the effect of Arms Drop, and discard Dragunity – Scimitar. Next I draw again!" Pulling his second card, he immediately played it. "Magic Activate: Angel's Gift!" Pulling three cards, Ryo took two monsters from his hand and placed them in the Cemetery.

"When you're finished drawing every card you have," Jack snapped, "make a real move."

Frustrated by such a rude comment, Ryo pulled a card from his hand and slapped it down. "I summon Dragunity – Halberd (ATK: 1700)." Emerging beside the dragon-rider, a steel-coloured serpentine dragon complete with swore-like bill and blades rose up with a scream. "Halberd, attack Dark Resonator!" With a screech, the dragon shot at the small monster and struck it, unable to harm it but somehow harming Jack.

Ryo: LP 1200

Jack: LP 700

"What's going on?" Sho asked, just before Asuka managed to pipe up and answer.

"Dragunity – Halberd gives all Level 4 or lower Dragunity monsters the ability to inflict Penetration Damage," she explained, getting nods from Crow and Yusei.

"That's why he summoned it instead of discarding it," Crow noted.

"Since I couldn't destroy Dark Resonator on my first try," Ryo said, "I decided to deal some damage anyway. Dragunity Knight – Gaelborg, attack Dark Resonator!" Once again raising its spear, the rider exploded the small monster with a sudden cyclonic burst, once again forcing Jack to take cover.

"I end my turn." Ryo said.

"Draw!" Jack declared, the card beside him suddenly lighting up. "And on this, the second Standby Phase, by the effect of Future Fusion, I Summon F.G.D. (ATK: 5000)!" From a vortex of behind Jack energy emerged a mammoth beige dragon complete with five differing heads, each one representing an element besides LIGHT.

"F.G.D., attack Gaelborg!" All five of the monster's heads roared out in fury as they all fired burst of energy, all of which struck dragon-rider and its steed. But just before the black struck Ryo, he flipped a card.

"Trap Card: Guard Block! I take no Battle Damage, and I draw 1 card!" The explosion from the destruction of the monster was stopped by an invisible barrier around Ryo as he pulled a new card, making Jack rather angry.

"You will fall before the King no matter what," Jack bellowed. "I set 1 card and end my turn!"

"Draw!" Ryo declared, reaching for a card. "I release Dragunity – Halberd to Advance Summon Dragunity – Cross-Wing (ATK: 2300)." The dragon roared as it changed into a rainbow orb and formed another one of the four-winged Tengu-like monsters that he had summoned earlier.

"He brought out that monster again?" Crow asked in awe. "Why?"

"Your monster is powerless against mine," Jack smugly declared, arms crossed. "It was last time and it will be again."

"Maybe," Ryo pointed out, "but I still have tricks up my sleeve. When this monster is Normal Summoned, I equip it with a Dragunity from my Cemetery. Return again, Powered Vice!" Once again the muscular Dragon appeared behind the bird creature, but this time, instead of attaching, it joined the bird-man with a defiant roar.

"What's this?" Jack asked as everyone looked on, stunned.

"When Dragunity – Powered Vice is equipped to a monster I control," Ryo explained, pulling the card from the Cemetery and holding it up, "I may Special Summon it instead (ATK: 2100)."

"And it's a Level 4 Tuner monster," Yusei noted, "which means…"

"Magic Activate: One for One!" Ryo declared, placing a card into the Cemetery. "From my Deck I Special Summon the Level 1 Dragunity – Vardos (ATK: 0)." Out of a white vortex emerged a small, fierce-looking falcon whose body had pieces of armour attached, to give it a battle-ready look.

"Level 10 among three monsters," Jack realized. "Then he…"

"I tune my Level 4 Dragunity – Powered Vice to my Level 5 Cross-Wing and Level 1 Vadros!" With a mighty roar, the dragon conjured an electrical field between its massive forearms that created 4 green rings, exploding it in the process. The two birds then jumped up into the air and surrounded themselves with their wings as they changed into 6 white orbs, merging into a single column of light.

"That monster…" Yusei noted as Judai stepped out onto the roof, standing arms crossed against the walls of the entry. A look on intrigue was in his eyes, making him question what he saw.

"Synchro Summon!" Ryo yelled. "Dragunity Knight – Gale Rider (ATK: 3800)!" Up from the light emerged a 6-winged, armoured monster similar to one of Crow's Black Feather monsters that was riding a three-headed black dragon. Its appearance immediately kicked up a storm. "And now all set cards return to the Deck!"

"Then you lose your card too," Jack noted, only to get a confident look from Ryo in reply before the black-clad man snapped his fingers.

"Chain: Equip Trap, Magic Reflector Armour – Metal Force! Equip to Gale Rider (ATK: 4100)!"

"Your efforts are impressive," Jack noted, "but still as useless. Chain! Trap Card, Threatening Roar! In this turn, you cannot declare an attack!" The card which Jack had just flipped disappeared moments before a metallic gloss covered the dragon and its rider. Moments later, Jack's other set card warped away and the winds died down.

"My turn is not done," Hell Kaiser declared, unshaken, as he pulled one of the two remaining cards from his hand and held it up to Jack. "Magic Activate: Bonds of Brethren! From my Deck By paing 1000 Life Points, I select 1 monster I control and Special Summon 2 Level 4 monsters of that type from my Deck in face-up Defence Position!"

"Impressive move," Asuka noted, Sho applauding as Ryo fanned through his Deck and found 2 cards. Both of them he then slapped on the trap horizontally before slapping the Deck back into its place, where it automatically shuffled.

"I Special Summon 2 Dragunity – Power Vice (DEF: 1200)!" On either side of the massive manned dragon arose the one of the massive large-armed armoured dragons from earlier, crouching before turning blue.

"You're stalling," Jack gloated. "Why else would you resort to such a move, especially for 1000 Life Points.

Ryo: LP 200

Jack: LP 700

"Perhaps it is you who's desperate," Ryo sneered. "Or you will be. Magic Activate! Force of Dragunion! I draw 1 card for each Dragunity I control!" Pulling up 3 cards, Ryo them slapped one down. "Equip Magic: Power of Unity! The equipped monster gains 800 ATK and DEF for every face-up monster on my field. I equip this card to Gale Rider (ATK: 6500)!"

"What?" Jack asked in awe as a red aura formed around the dragon and its rider, causing it to roar out loudly as Jack's weaker dragon.

"Had Ryo been able to attack this turn," Crow noted, "this duel would have ended in his victory."

"That we are certain on," Yusei added. "And I'm also certain the next turn will be a deciding one. I can feel it." Both Sho and Asuka were surprised by such a statement, but over in the corner Judai, still undetected to the group, was not at all shocked.

"_So tell me Jack, Kaiser..."_ Judai thought to himself, smiling as Yubel appeared behind him and his eyes flashed over into hers. _"Who will make the final blow?"_

"I set 2 cards," Ryo declared, forcing his only 2 remaining cards into their slots. "I end my turn! Make your move Jack; it will be your last."

"Draw!" Jack declared. I set 1 card. Magic Activate: Card of Death! I draw 5 cards from the Deck!" One by one his fingers shuffled over the Deck as he pulled 5 new cards one-by-one; he then fanned them out in his hand and smirked.

"A fresh hand at this point in the game is a pretty deciding move," Asuka whispered to herself. Turning to Yusei, she said, "You were right."

"Magic activate!" Jack declared, flipping up the card he had just set. "Spider's Thread! From my opponent's Cemetery I extract a Magic Card the opponent activated in their previous turn and add it to my hand. Chain: Emergency Rations!"

"I know exactly what he's doing!" Sho issued. "He wants Bonds of Brethren."

"_Yes he does Sho,"_ Judai thought, _"but only Jack and I know what he has waiting."_

"I send Spider's Thread to the Cemetery to recover 1000 Life Points. However, the effect of Spider's Thread still applies, and I take Bonds of Brethren!" As Jack's first Magic Card dissolved for the effect of the second one, the card in Ryo's Cemetery that he had mentioned slid out and warped into Jack's left hand.

Ryo: LP 200

Jack: LP 1700

"Magic Activate: Bonds of Brethren! For 1000 Life Points, I Special Summon Lava Dragon (DEF: 1200) and Debris Dragon (DEF: 2000)!" Out of two blue vortexes formed 2 small dragons, both of which crouched on either side of the massive dragon before turning blue.

Ryo: LP 200

Jack: LP 1700

The first was an ugly purple monster with no wings, just a long crocodilian body with 8 legs and a yellow fan on its tail. The other was a small light grey dragon with long thin wings, orange orbs on its shoulders and chest and some green armour on its body.

"Jack doesn't own either of those monsters," Crow realized.

"There's no denying it now," Yusei said gravely. "It's that guy's Deck."

"I activate the effect of Lava Dragon! By releasing this face-up Defence Position monster, from both my hand and Cemetery I Special Summon 1 Level 3 or below Dragon-type monster. Come: Twin-Headed Behemoth (ATK: 1500)! Revive, Masked Dragon (ATK: 1400)!" As Ryo's jaw hung slack, Jack took a card from his hand and one that slid out of his Cemetery, and slapped both on the tray after banishing the one he already had out.

The purple dragon roared out before its body split into 2 orbs of neon power, spawning 2 new dragons who snarled viciously. The first was an anthropomorphized purple monster with 2 tails rising from under a Greek war skirt, with powerful legs and a pair of heads where its arms would be. The other appeared as a red dragon with segmented wings, some bone-grey armour on its body and a mask-like plate over its face.

"10 Stars?" Asuka realized. "It is that Deck."

"What Deck?" Sho asked, seemingly the only one not aware.

"You'll see," Crow said, somewhat cheery at getting to see the legendary cards.

"I set 2 cards," Jack said, smirking. "And then, I Tune my Level 4 Debris Dragon to my Level 3 Masked Dragon and my Level 3 Twin-Headed Behemoth!" The crouching dragon's wings unfurled to release 4 white robs that changed into green rings before the dragon itself disappeared, letting those green rings pass over the other 2 monsters.

Both the red dragon and the purple dragonoid were changed into yellow outlines of themselves, revealing their 3 inner white robs each. As the outlines faded the six orbs formed a vertical column that merged into a massive column of light and wind. "The King of Hell shall now release his greatest servant," Jack chanted, "to cleanse the Earth and light the Pyres of Dogma! Synchro Summon! Incinerate, Trident Dragion (ATK: 3000)!"

A loud and booming demonic roar echoed out from within the light as the silhouette of a serpentine dragon with three heads and massive wings took form. Yusei, Crow and Jack were all caught off guard when their Signer marks roared to life, glowing intensely and sparking with red electricity as the monster cast off its light bindings.

The monster had blood-red scales and a bone-white underbelly, with segmented wings and devil horns on its heads on either side of dark green eyes. Flame-like glowing marks began to glow along its body in a fashion similar to the Dragon Birthmarks, but from head to wingtips to tail tip.

"That monster!" Sho yelled out, finally understanding the term "That Guy's Deck" as Crow and Yusei clutched their marks, grunting slightly in pain. Jack, on the other hand, help his right arm up to gesture at the massive beast, larger than his five-headed monster and far more sinister-looking.

"When Trident Dragion is Synchro Summoned successfully," Jack issued, "I may destroy up to 2 cards I control. I choose my set cards!" The left and right heads looked down at the set cards, roaring at them to make them explode and kicking up a dust storm in the process. "Now, my Dragon may attack 3 times this turn."

"Even so," Ryo declared, "your monster has only 3000 ATK. 3 Attacks will not defeat me!"

"I'm afraid your assumptions are wrong," Jack issued, holding up the two cards that had just been destroyed. "Both Dummy Marker and Fire Trap allow me to draw one card when they are destroyed by a card effect." Placing both into the Cemetery, Jack pulled 2 new cards as his largest dragon locked eyes on Ryo, nightmarish echoes escaping its jaws.

"This is bad," Asuka realized. "If Jack can pull the combos of that guy…"

"Brother will…" Sho noted, too nervous to complete his sentence before Crow and Yusei both grunted in anticipation of a kill shot.

"_Well-played Jack,"_ Judai complemented. "And I bet I know what you drew."

"I release F.G.D.," Jack declared, his five-headed monster warping off the field with a loud roar, "and activated Donated Power! Now, the ATK which belonged to my F.G.D. becomes inherited by Trident Dragion (ATK: 8000)!" Roaring out demonically, the gigantic dragon glowed bright red as its power grew immensely. But, sadly for Ryo, Jack was not yet done.

"Continuous Magic: Unity of the Tribe! All the monsters in my Cemetery are Dragon-type, to all Dragon-type monsters I control gain 800 ATK (ATK: 8800)!" As the next card same into play, the demon dragon let out more fiendish growls as its power rose further, to the ATK Cyber Dark Dragon had been at when be battled Sho as Hell Kaiser. "Battle! Trident Dragion, destroy Dragunity Knight – Gale Rider! Lucifer's Firestorm!"

As all three of the heads of the monster built up large fireballs in their jaws, Ryo's eyes glared over in red light from the reflection, before he flipped a card. "Trap Card: Holy Barrier – Mirror Force! I destroy Trident Dragion!" Everyone in the audience cheered as Ryo glared confidently at Jack, who merely grinned smugly as he put down his last card.

"Instant Magic: Hellfire Burst!" Jack issued, stunning everyone. "When my Level 7 or higher Dragon-type Synchro monster attacks, I destroy all Spell & Trap Cards the opponent controls without applying their effects. Therefore, Mirror Force is null and void!" As Ryo stared on in horror, a massive fire stream shot out of all the fireballs among the monster's heads, burning through all 5 of Ryo's rear cards without draining the three fireballs at all.

"It's all over," Yusei noted. "Without Metal Reflector Armour – Metal Force and Power of Unity, the ATK of Gale Rider returns to normal (ATK: 3800)." As he said this, the aura faded off the mounted dragon and its metal coating also dissolved, leaving it exposed to the onslaught. "The King trumps the Kaiser."

"Lucifer's Firestorm!" Jack bellowed as, with a deafening and earth-shaking demonic roar, the three fireballs in the dragon's mouths all released their power in streams at the other dragon and its rider, searing it to a crisp in mere seconds and moving on to Ryo. He bowed his head in accepted defeat as the flames washed over him, taking his precious few Life Points.

Ryo: LP 0

Jack: LP 700

With a final monstrous growl, the red and grey dragon raised its heads and spread its wings as its body dissolved into virtual embers, showering them over the field as the Solid Vision died down. Jack's Duel Disc switched off as Ryo's simply retracted, and both players then walked to the centre of the field to shake hands. All three Dragon's Birthmarks stopped sparking as they died down, showing that it was all truly over.

"That was an honourable duel," Ryo smiled. "A good test of the mettle of my new cards. I have one question though." The black-clad man then asked slyly, "why did you use Ryukishi Kyojo's Deck?"

Slightly taken back by the question, Jack answered, "Because of what you said earlier. You mentioned that the Deck had given you a great challenge earlier in your career… as had Ryukishi Kyojo."

"Why do you have his Deck?" Asuka asked, all four side-liners stepping toward the two.

"He left it to me before he went off to America," Jack explained. "To my father, actually; it contained the Red Daemon's Dragon card, as he was the Summoner responsible for its awakening, and since he was laying low he decided to let someone inherit the Deck."

"Summoner?" Crow questioned.

"The Legendary Emissaries of the First Signers," Judai interjected from afar, stepping toward the group as he spoke. "They arose again after the Darkness Incident because the Crimson Dragon willed their spirits to return so that the Five Dragons would be ready for the coming of the Dark Signers."

"How do you know this?" Sho asked, right before, unnoticed by everyone except Judai, Ryo and Jack, Yubel appeared beside Judai and smiled.

"The Five Dragons had stone tablets to house their spirits in the Dominion of the Beasts," she said. "I have seen these tablets, and I have also told Judai of them."

Yusei, although not able to directly perceive Yubel, intuitively guessed what she had said and turned to Jack to ask, "Why did you use Trident Dragion and not Red Daemon's?"

"The spirit of Trident Dragion spoke out to me," Jack said, knowing he may sound crazy. "It knew that it would be the ultimate test of Ryo's Deck, and so I summoned it to combat him. And it will still be that way for some time to come, until your Deck can surpass it."

"Ryo, you are the Heir to Cyber-Style and Cyber Reverse-Style," Yusei said, Ryo sighing in nervous thought at the idea, but knowing it to be true. "Until you can use your legacy, you will never duel as yourself."

"You're right," Ryo said, blinking quickly before looking down at his Deck. "I won't lift the Curse that is the Cyber Reverse-Style's bloodlust by ignoring it; I must break its iron will."

"And once you have," Jack said, holding up his Duel Disc with the Trident Dragion card face-up on top of the Deck, "We'll duel again."

"Bring it," was Ryo's challenging reply.

**Card of the Week – Ryo **

**Dragunity – Powered Vice**

**Attribute:** WIND

**Level:** 4

**Type(s):** [Dragon/Tuner]

**Effect:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. When this card is equipped to a monster you control from your Cemetery, you can Special Summon this card.

**ATK/** 2100

**DEF/** 1200

* Revelations, Deck testing, powerful cards… I'd say a successful chapter. Review if you wish.*


	3. The Dragon'sBlood Duel!

**Disclaimer**: The following piece is in no way a claim to ownership of the depicted characters. Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh R, Yu-Gi-Oh GX and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's are owned by TV Tokyo, Konami Corporation and Kazuki Takahashi. The book/poem after which this fanfiction document has taken its name is the property of Edgar Allen Poe. This story as presented is strictly for entertainment purposes, both for its owner and readers.

**Chapter 3 – The Dragon's-Blood Duel! Gale Rider vs. Trident Dragion**

Under the midnight full moon's radiance, Ryo stood on the roof of the apartment building, two Duel Discs strapped to his waist. The one of the left was his new Dragunity Deck: polished, turbo-charged, and unable to overcome Jack when he had used the Deck of legendary Ryukishi Kyojo.

On the right, the corrupted Duel Disc of his Cyber Reverse-Style Deck; also powerful, and strong enough to go head-to-head with Kyojo at his best, but a Deck which was almost uncontrollable. It had nearly killed him thrice in recent years, and as a result he had set it aside. Until now.

"_This is something I always knew I'd have to do,"_ Ryo thought to himself. _"I'd just hoped it wouldn't be this soon."_ Standing on the sidelines were Jack and Judai, in case anything happened to their black-clad friend.

Raising his left arm to fold in front of his chest, he grabbed his back Duel Disc with his right arm and pulled it over his left arm. The gauntlet fit into place perfectly, and almost immediately the lights on the device activated and the automated shuffler mixed up the cards and dealt him a hand.

However, when he grabbed it, the black vines which covered the disc re-grew and shot up his arm, extending over every inch of his body; and after that red and black electricity began to course through them, making him howl in pain. "Kaiser, don't give up!" Judai yelled out, waiting at any moment to run out and help him.

Ryo was forced to close his eyes from the pain of the experience, but within his own mind there was a tranquil stillness. There he stood amongst the blackness of the subconscious mind, standing there as his normal self opposite a sneering double of himself.

"_What is this about?"_ Ryo asked to his alter ego. Before even speaking, the figure chuckled in a deep voice rather unlike Ryo's and closed its eyes, before turning and saying,

"_This is about the ability to fulfill one's goals and desires,"_ the figure spoke, using the voice of Darkness as it opened its eyes. A blanket of shadow formed around the body double, changing its clothes to those that Fubuki and Fujiwara had used while under his influence, and he added, _"you were willing to throw away everything you knew for victory, and that is what you were given."_

"_I was given a path to victory,"_ Ryo corrected. _"That did not involve you, Darkness."_

"_Darkness?"_ the figure replied, almost in sarcastic surprise. _"Darkness is gone."_ With that, the face of the figure slowly morphed into that of Fubuki, quickly covered by the dragon-like mask. Resuming in Fubuki's voice, the figure spoke: _"The entity of which you speak does not inhabit you anymore, and never will."_

"_Then what are you?"_ Listening to these statements, Ryo looked on in awe and shock with wide eyes and open mouth.

"_Isn't it obvious?"_ the figure asked, his features and voice slowly shifting to those of Fujiwara below the mask. _"I'm the part of you that you cannot admit is part of you. The part you despise for what it has done, what it has made of you."_

"_You're lying."_

"_Oh, but I wish I was,"_ it finally added, its features below the mask resuming those of Ryo and its voice following suit. It then took off the mask, revealing a cold pair of sadistic eyes and a masochistic smile that could only mark Hell Kaiser.

"_Im... impossible."_

"_You and I are one and the same,"_ Hell Kaiser explained to his other half. _"We have struggled for power for years, and that's long enough. You want respect, and I want victory. It's time we buried this hatchet and pooled our forces."_

"_Agreed,"_ Ryo nodded. In unison the two figures began walking towards each other, stopping only when they were two feet away from each other. They both then extended their right hands, and when they clasped them they erupted into a bright burst of light.

* * *

"Judai," Ryo said, back I the real world, reaching for the Deck, "I… never… give in!" With that he grabbed the Deck and pulled the entire Deck out of the slot, scattering the cards like a pile knocked off a table. The dark vines all over his body slowly began to dissolve as the dark powers began to flow away from the scattered cards, exorcised from their home.

"Ryo, are you okay?" Jack asked, both he and Judai both stepping out onto the roof and standing behind Ryo. In mere seconds Ryo turned around, his eyes now showing a dark confidence they had not shown for years; the exuberance of his youthful self had been brought back, and there was no denying it.

"I'm better than alright," he answered, a strong and confident tone greater than usual in his voice. "I'm back, and Hell Kaiser lives."

* * *

The very next morning, as the sun was just coming up, both Jack and Hell Kaiser walked up onto the roof of the building, taking opposite positions and raising their Duel Discs. Following close behind were the five who had observed their earlier duel, and they were all eager to see how his new Deck would fair against the champion Deck Jack had inherited.

***

Earlier that night, Hell Kaiser had come back into the living room of his penthouse at around 1 a.m., the back Duel Disc still on his arm, as he lay the two piles of cards – his two Decks – down on the glass table. Turning them over and fanning out the cards, he began to look through the cards and take out what he thought was useful for his new one.

Within his own mind, he initially did not notice Asuka entering from the master bedroom, dressed in her white lace nightgown and smiling at her fiancé and his actions. "Honey," she said to him, causing him to look up and turn her way. The confident-looking smile he gave said it all, and she was thrilled.

"You got yourself back," she realized, walking towards him as he stood up. She gave him a nice warm hug, her lacey outfit snug against his black leather coat and tight-fitting shirt, and giving him a kiss on the lips. "It's so good to see you happy," she said cheerily.

"And now," he said slyly and in what Asuka considered a sexy tone of voice, "I can make you happy." Asuka giggled lightly as the two both locked lips again, the two shuffling off to one side slightly. A tug-of-war-like motion of kissing ensued, followed by some small hip movements by both parties, but then Asuka strangely backed off. "What's wrong?" Hell Kaiser asked, worried about his fiancée.

"As good as that sounds," Asuka replied, "we can do that any time. I don't want to keep you from your Deck, and I'm tired tonight anyway." Releasing their embrace, Asuka began to walk away to the bedroom cheerily, blowing him a goodnight kiss on the way out.

Turning back to his cards, Ryo sat back down and continued the task of selecting and combining cards from both Decks.

***

"I hope you gave this Deck some considerable thought," Jack gloated, holding up the Trident Dragion card as he slipped it into his Extra Deck.

Across the way, Ryo stood glaring at Jack confidently, almost looking like a punk rocker: his hair, not ponytail-free, had been died back and given red tips; his eyes were lined with black make-up; and his belt and cuffs were adorned with spikes. Looking at Jack he said, "I have a feeling this Deck will take thing to the next Level. You're going down Atlus!"

"Then it's on!" Jack said, both players raising their left arms to activate their Duel Discs. Both devices immediately shuffled their cards and gave them each a five-card hand. Taking both up they each yelled,

"DUEL!"

Hell Kaiser: LP 4000

Jack: LP 4000

"I take the first move," Hell Kaiser declared. "Draw! Magic Activate: Treasure of Harmony! I discard one Dragon-type Tuner with 1000 or less ATK, and I draw 2 cards!" Flipping around the card Dragunity – Phalanx, he slid it into the Cemetery slot of his black claw Duel Disc and pulled 2 new cards.

"I summon Dragunity – Dux (ATK: 1500)!" Placing the card onto a Monster Space, in front of Hell Kaiser formed a beige-feathered Icarus-like warrior, who let out a small battle-cry as Ryo raised his now-glowing Cemetery. "When this monster is Summoned, from my Cemetery I equip to it a Level 3 or lower Dragon-type Dragunity monster. Come: Phalanx!"

Up from below the ground arose an armoured dragon slightly larger than the warrior, with silvery armour and a piece that resembled a big lance, which the warrior leapt up onto and stood on the back off.

"Phalanx, is it?" Jack noted, remembering the use of it previous.

"Exactly," Ryo said, sneering it slightly, "And by its effect I Special Summon it (ATK: 500)!" After he finished these words, his beige feathered monster leapt off the dragon and returned to a standing position by itself.

"Then that's that isn't it?" Jack asked.

"I tune my Level 2 Phalanx to my Level 4 Dux!" With a shriek, the dragon changed into 2 white robs that became green rings to surround the beige feathered monster. It became a yellow outline of itself and released 4 white star orbs, which merged into a single column of light.

"Synchro Summon! Dragunity Knight – Gaedarg (ATK: 2400)!" From the light with a battle cry arose a red and grey-armoured winged warrior mounted on a similar-looking serpentine Dragon. "And next, by this monster's effect I may add 1 Dragunity from my Deck to my hand and discard 1 as well." From his Deck he silently pulled out a second Dragunity – Phalanx and placed it in the Cemetery immediately.

"He's stocking his Cemetery for a big play," Asuka realized.

"I set 2 cards and end my turn." As Hell Kaiser slipped his 2 cards into the Slots, he stared at Jack and said, "Let's see the Deck of the Legendary Ryukishi Kyojo start better."

"Ask and ye shall receive," Jack issued, reaching for his Deck. "Draw! Magic Activate: Dark Allure!" Pulling 2 cards from hid Deck, he took a card from his hand (which he revealed as Mad Daemon) and placed it into his pocket. "I Special Summon Vice Dragon (ATK: 1000)!"

Rising up in front of Jack with a guttural growl, the purple dinosaur-like dragon snarled and waved its massive paws. "Next I summon Flare Resonator (ATK: 300)!" Beside the dragon emerged the small rodent-like monster with tuning fork and glass rod in hand. Within seconds the monster burst into flames and Jack yelled, "Tuning!"

Clanging its fork and its rod together, the burning monster changed into 3 green rings to surround the purple dragon, who breathed out 5 white orbs before disappearing. "The heartbeat of the ruler will now be heard. Take witness to its creation-shaking power." The orbs formed the vertical column that erupted into the form of Jack's grey and red dragon completed with armour pieces.

"Synchro Summon! My very soul, Red Daemon's Dragon (ATK: 3000)!" Roaring at Hell Kaiser, it was expected that the dragon would make the man tense; instead, he stared back at it with a confident, almost arrogant glare.

"You took me seriously enough to use your own monster today," Hell Kaiser issued sarcastically. "I'm so enthused. And because of your Flare Resonator's effect, your monster grows stronger still; it gains 300 ATK (ATK: 3300). I shall enjoy crushing that monster."

"We'll see how funny you think it is after this!" Jack declared hostilely. "Red Daemon's, attack his Gaedarg! Absolute Power Force!" Roaring, the dragon formed a fireball around its right fist to thrust it at the mounted dragon, but as it neared Hell Kaiser grabbed 6 cards from his Deck and flung them into the air.

"Trap Card Open!" he declared, motioning to it as it flipped over. "By the effect of Power Wall, by sending 9 cards to the Cemetery, I negate my Battle Damage!" As the cards drifted down, they were identified as Rainbow Dark Dragon, Cyber Dark Keel, Dragunity – Javelin, Samsara Dogma, Fusion Guard, Cyber Dark Horn, Cyber Dark Edge, Cyber Dragon Zwei and Dragunity – Primus Pilus.

"But even so," Jack growled as the flames on his dragon's fist spread onto Ryo's monster. "Your monster is still destroyed by this battle."

"Not in this case!" Hell Kaiser taunted, snapping his fingers and causing a card to flip face-up. "With Synchro Guard, I make my Synchro Monster indestructible by this attack, and I draw 1 card from my Deck!" Pulling his card, the flames around the monsters shattered like a destroyed card before the red and grey dragon returned to his place.

"I set 1 card and end my turn," Jack declared, violently thrusting the card into the slot. "You have trifled with the King; so now you will show me your power, oh mighty Prince of Darkness." Even with sarcasm noted in his voice, Hell Kaiser quickly replied with,

"Then feel the power of the Cyber-Style Heir reborn in the depths of Hell!" With that Hell Kaiser reached for his card and declared, "It's my turn. Draw! I activate the effect of Gaedarg, and from my Deck I add another Dragunity – Dux to my hand." Pulling the card out of the Deck when it slid forth, he placed it in his hand before revealing the card Dragunity – Primus Pilus and placing it in the Cemetery.

"Searching his Deck for a non-Tuner this time," Sho noted. "He's going for another Synchro monster, to topple the Red Daemon's."

"Come, Dux (ATK: 1500)!" Once again the beige Icarus-like figure rose up and raised its sword as it cried out. "Return, Phalanx!" Up from below the ground arose the silvery dragon before it roared out and joined the two monsters beside it. Then, Hell Kaiser took a card and slapped it down.

"I Tune my Level 2 Dragunity – Phalanx to my Level 4 Dragunity – Dux!" As the dragon roared, it turned its body into 2 white orbs that became green rings and surrounded the beige gryphon-like warrior and changed it into 4 white orbs. The end result was a white column of light that produced a beige-feathered warrior riding on top of a silvery serpent dragon.

"Synchro Summon: Dragunity – Gaelborg (ATK: 2000)!"

"This monster again?" Jack scoffed. "How dare you mock the King's monsters with the likes of them?"

"Like so!" Hell Kaiser declared, pointing at Red Daemon's Dragon. "Battle! And with Gelborg's effect, I exclude Dragunity – Primus Pilus!" pulling the card from his Cemetery, the dragon roared as its own power was increased (ATK: 4200) before the creature's rider raised its sword and the dragon shot forward.

"Trap Card: Guard Block!" Jack declared. "I take no Battle Damage and I draw 1 card!" Pulling his card, the sword cut through the red and grey dragon with little effort before the monster exploded.

"Permanent Trap: Call of the Living Dead!" Jack declared, his dragon exploded up from the roof again with an angry roar.

"A clever ploy," Hell Kaiser responded. "I've been waiting for a duel of this energy, this vigour. I set 2 cards and end my turn."

"Draw!" Jack declared, smiling. "I Summon the Tuner Monster, Dread Dragon (ATK: 1100)!" As he slapped the monster onto the field, his existing dragon was joined by a brown dinosaur-like dragon with small arms and wings, large legs, a massive tail and black dreadlocks. "And then, I set 2 cards."

"He's set up the conditions for that card's Synchro Summon," Yusei realized.

"He's made that Deck his own now," Crow realized. "Just as Hell Kaiser did with the Dragunity, he has taken on Trident Dragion."

"Behold the Duel of the Past and Present King!" Jack declared, raising his right fist to the sky. "I Tune my Level 2 Dread Dragon to my Level 8 Red Daemon's Dragon!" Roaring, the brown dragon released 2 orbs from its mouth and disappeared, the orbs turning into 2 green rings that surrounded the red and grey dragon.

The giant Dragon which Jack cherished roared as it became a yellow outline of itself, disappearing as 8 white orbs were released and a pillar of fire formed. Jack then raised both arms and chanted, "The King of Hell shall now release his greatest servant, to cleanse the Earth and light the Pyres of Dogma! Synchro Summon! Incinerate, Trident Dragion (ATK: 3000)!"

As with before, the flames exploded out and released the massive serpentine three-headed dragon, roaring demonically while red runic lines lit up on its sides. Then, once again the Dragon's Birthmarks on the three Present Signers lit up and began sparking, and Jack stared on at Hell Kaiser smugly. "Meet the King's Ultimate Soldier!"

"The King's armies will not hold back the Legions of Hell Kaiser!" the black-clad duelist retorted. "Bring upon me your wrath, for this time I will withstand it and claim victory."

"Then claim this," Jack sneered. "With Trident Dragion's effect, I destroy the Call of the Living Dead that became static after I used Red Daemon's Dragon, as well as my set Synchro Overlimit!" Flipping up, the aforementioned latter trap appeared as both cards shattered. After that, Jack's Cemetery glowed and 3 cards slid back out.

"Synchro Overlimit?" Sho repeated. "Then Jack has…"

"Planned to Summon out both monsters from the beginning," Asuka relayed.

"When this set card is destroyed," Jack informed, "By excluding Synchro Materials from my Cemetery, I Ressurect 1 Synchro Monster. I remove Flare Resonator and Vice Dragon, and I Re-Summon Red Daemon's Dragon (ATK: 3000)!" Taking the top 2 cards and placing them in his pocket, Jack slapped the third onto the tray and his monster took up place on the field.

"And then, because I Synchro Summoned a Level 8 or higher Dragon with Dread Dragon," Jack further smirked, "Trident Dragion gains 800 ATK (ATK: 3800)!"

"This… can't be!" Sho worried. "Brother's already lost."

"I refuse to go down!" Hell Kaiser yelled defiantly.

"That's too bad," Jack issued. "Battle!"

"Permanent Trap: Forceful Stop!" Hell Kaiser issued. "I send Dragunity – Gaelborg to the Cemetery and end this Battle Phase!" Roaring, the silver dragon and its rider disappeared as the Trap Card glowed.

"Main Phase 2," Jack issued, "I activate Card of Death." Pulling his 5 cards, Jack smiled and said, "I release Red Daemon's Dragon to Advance Summon Strong Wind Dragon (ATK: 2400)." Changing into a neon rainbow orb, the red and grey dragon further morphed into a green dragon with a well-defined physique and massive wings.

"Now, my Dragon gains 1500 ATK (ATK: 3900). Turn end."

"I must end this," Hell Kaiser realized. "Draw!" I activate my Gaedarg's effect: I add Hell Dragon to my hand and discard it." Pulling out his monster and immediately discarding it, he then pulled a card from his hand and activated it. "Magic Activate: Synchro Release! I return Gaedarg to the Extra Deck and Special Summon Dux (ATK: 1500) and Phalanx (ATK: 500)!"

Roaring, the dragon's body broke up into 6 white orbs, collecting into 2 and 4 before spawning the two monsters used to create it. "Next, I activate Magic Burial, and for 800 Life Points, from my Cemetery I Special Summon my second Dragunity – Dux (ATK: 1500)." Up from the ground rose a second of the beige feathered warrior, and after that Hell Kaiser's Life Points fell.

Hell Kaiser: LP 3200

Jack: LP 4000

"I Tune my Level 2 Phalanx to me 2 Level 4 Dragunity – Duxes!" Roaring, the dragon released 2 white orbs to form to green rings before it disintegrated. These rings split up, each surrounding a monster and changing it into 4 white orbs before they all fused into a single beam of light.

"Draw swords up and cross them in the force of the Gods of War," Hell Kaiser chanted. "With powers combined, fight the battles of destiny and rise to the greatness above! Synchro Summon! Bonds of the Warriors, Dragunity Knight – Gale Rider (ATK: 3800)!"

As the light subsided, it once again gave rise to the six-winged dragon and its Icarus-like mount that roared out in fury. "And as you know, this is the time when both our set cards are returned to the Deck."

"Chain: Permanent Trap, Spell of the Ruler! I equip this Trap to my Trident Dragion, and increase its ATK by 700 (ATK: 4500)!" As the card glowed, it released an aura that surrounded the large three-headed dragon, who in turn uttered a guttural demon's snarl.

"What a coincidence," Hell Kaiser issued, snapping his fingers. "I also Chain Spell of the Ruler (ATK: 4500)!" As Jack looked on in shock, the same card he had just played appeared on Ryo's field and gave the same aura to his monster. "And next, I activate Spider's Thread and activate your Card of Death!"

"Kisama!" Jack issued as the image of his card glowed on Hell Kaiser's field, and the black-clad player drew 5 cards as such. "Magic Activate: Cyber Dark Impact!" His Cemetery glowing, Hell Kaiser watched as three cards slid out and he thus held them up. "By returning Cyber Dark Horn, Edge and Keel to my Deck, I Fusion Summon Armored Black Dragon – Cyber Dark Dragon (ATK: 1000)!"

The dark brown dragon-like machine appeared first, roaring like a mechanical lion. Second was the dark green dragonfly-like monster, and last the dark grey serpent with four wires on its body also appeared, snarling as it bore its toothy mouth. In a flash of sparks, they all fused together in a fixed shape and the maw of the brown monster opened up to reveal the green-eyed, leathery face of the dragon.

"By the effect of Cyber Dark Dragon, I equip it with the Rainbow Dark Dragon I sent to my Cemetery earlier (ATK: 5000)!" With that a long grey serpent dragon with black-feathered wings and four red eyes let out a massive roar before the machine dragon descended upon it and grabbed it with 8 claws, attaching yellow wires to its temples to paralyze it and drain its power.

"And next, for every monster in your Cemetery," Jack stated, "it gains 100 ATK."

"That's correct," Hell Kaiser noted, "And at this time that number is 7 (ATK: 5700)! Battle: Destroy Trident Dragion!" Roaring, the mechanical beats released a force of energy that struck the red three-headed dragon, making it roar out loudly before exploding.

"Very well" Jack yelled, "But Spell of the Ruler costs you 700 Life Points!" As Hell Kaiser watched Jack's Life Points fall, his own Life Points were struck as a purple aura consumed him.

Hell Kaiser: LP 2500

Jack: LP 2800

"And now, Gale Rider," he added, "destroys Strong Wind Dragon!" Rising up, the dragon's mount drew its weapon and cut through the green dragon, which roared as it exploded and Jack grunted in frustration.

Hell Kaiser: LP 2500

Jack: LP 2200

"I set 2 cards and end my turn,"

"Draw!" Jack issued. "Magic Activate: Angel's Gift!" Pulling 2 cards, he smirked as he took 2 monsters from his hand and discarded them. "Next, I Activate Avarice Pot! I return Dragion, Red Daemon's, Dread Dragon, Strong Wind Dragon and the Dark Resonator I just discarded!"

The 5 cards sliding out, Jack took his cards and reshuffled them before pulling 2 new cards. "I send Forceful Stop to the Cemetery and Special Summon Trap Eater (ATK: 1900!" Behind Hell Kaiser's Trap formed a blue vortex, through which a piranha-like demon with grey leathery skin emerged, devouring the Trap Card on the way to Jack's field.

"Now he can't end the Battle Phase if he needs to," Asuka realized.

"And knowing Jack, he will," added Crow.

"I Summon Twin Breaker! (ATK: 1600)!" Beside the monster formed a warrior with a three-pronged blade for each hand and a veil over its face, right before the demon growled. "I tune my Trap Eater to my Twin Breaker!" The roaring demon changed into 4 green rings that surrounded the warrior, changing it into 4 white orbs and making a pillar of light.

"The heartbeat of the ruler will now be heard. Take witness to its creation-shaking power. Synchro Summon! My very soul, Red Daemon's Dragon (ATK: 3000)!" From the light, once again the form of the red and grey dragon took up shape, and the monster roared with its usual power (ATK: 3000).

"Is that the best you can do?" Hell Kaiser taunted.

"The King always has a new tactic up his sleeve," Jack answered. "Instant Magic: Quick Summon! Come out: Jinhua Cat (ATK: 400)!" A shadowy recess formed along the ground right beside the dragon, as Jack smiled. "I may now Special Summon 1 Level 1 monster in my Cemetery, so return: Salvation Dragon – Savior Dragon (ATK: 0)!"

"What?" Hell Kaiser yelled. Sure enough, the shadow released the red large-headed dragon with a teardrop-shaped body and segmented wings that the gang new well. From that, the shadow took the form of the dragon, albeit in black.

"Behold, the true form of the King's power! I Tune my Level 1 Savior Dragon to my Level 8 Red Daemon's Dragon and my Level 1 Jinhua Cat!" Rising up into the sky, the red dragon became see-through as it increased in size until it was largey than the roof of the apartment building. Into it rose both the shadowy dragon and the red and grey dragon, the latter changing into an outline with 8 orbs inside and the former a single. All 9 then formed a row and fused.

"Polished, lone light! Become the true high-ruler and illuminate the earth! Shine your light! Synchro Summon! Creation-Shaking Soul, Savior Demon Dragon (ATK: 4000)!" The body of the red dragon exploded into a huge fireball, which then spawned a huge red and dark grey four-winged wyvern with wings composed of white feather-like blades, a mane of red hair surrounded by three long yellow horns, and a club tail with several spikes.

"That monster," Judai said sternly, thinking of the times when both he and Yusei had unleashed the power of the Saviors.

"Savior Demon Dragon may, once in one turn, negate the effect of an opponent's monster and add that monster's ATK to its own," Jack bellowed. "I absorb the power of Cyber Dark Dragon! Power Gain!" The dragon roared before launching a barrage of crimson flames onto the mechanical dragon, destroying the creature grasped in its claws.

"Without the effects it normally has," Asuka realized as the flames died down, "Cyber Dark Dragon's ATK returns to normal (ATK: 1000). Therefore, Savior Demon Dragon's ATK is 5000."

"If he receives this hit," Sho realized, "He's done!"

"Savior Demon," Jack yelled, "Attack Cyber Dark Dragon! Ultimate Power Force!" Roaring, the entire body of the titanic four-winged dragon burst into crimson flames and it shot towards the mechanical dragon, but not before Hell Kaiser reacted.

"Trap Card Open: Shock Reborn!" He declared. "With this, I halve by Battle Damage!" As the card glowed, the burning beast struck and passed through his mechanical monster, which was about half the size of the attacking beast, singing it and creating a back draft that consumed Hell Kaiser in its wake.

"What's going on?" Crow asked as Hell Kaiser screamed in pain and the dragon flew past the roofline, extinguishing and returning it its own place as the flames around Ryo died down and he fell onto his knees. "Jack, you bastard!"

Hell Kaiser: LP 500

Jack: LP 2200

"Now you understand what it means to defy the King!" Jack yelled, laughing hysterically after doing so. "My monster has all but eliminated your Life Points! And next turn, you will fall!"

"Oh really?" Hell Kaiser asked, looking up with a look of sadistic enjoyment on his face. "Because I've not fallen, but stumbled. Your crown, King, shall now me mine!" As Jack looked on in shock at these words, Hell Kaiser rose up and pointed at his card. "When Shock Reborn halves my Battle Damage, I then Special Summon 1 monster from my Cemetery with ATK less than my Damage. Return: Dux (ATK: 1500)!"

In a burst of electricity, a blue vortex formed that returned to the field the beige feathered monster from earlier.

"That does you little good," Jack said. "Magic Activate: Sublimation Energy! I draw 3 cards!" Pulling them one by one, he spun one around and issued, "I then equip Savior Force to my Savior Demon Dragon!" Up from the card rose a purple flaming aura that blanketed the four-winged monster, protecting it.

"Instant Magic: Cyclone!" With that a whirlwind rose out from the card, striking Hell Kaiser's face-up card and making him cringe in frustration while his monster's power fell (ATK: 3800). "I set 1 card and end my turn, so my monster's ATK returns to normal. (ATK: 4000)."

"Draw!" Ryo declared, pulling a card. "Magic Activate: Donated Power! I Release Dux and power up my Gale Rider (ATK: 5300)!" As the card appeared, Hell Kaiser's beige monster disappeared while the power of his other monster rose. "Next I activate Arms Hole, and send my top card to the Cemetery to add Fighting Spirits to my hand!"

Pulling a card from his Deck, Hell Kaiser placed it in the Cemetery and then fanned through his Deck to grab a new card. He then placed it on his monster. "Now, my monster gains 300 ATK (ATK: 5600). Battle!"

"Instant Magic: Battle Tuned!" Jack declared, flipping his card. "By excluding one Tuner from my Cemetery, I add its ATK to my face-up monster. I choose Trap Eater (ATK: 5900)! Counterattack!" Roaring, Jack's monster built up a meteor-like fireball in its jaws and shot it at the attacking creature, striking it and making Hell Kaiser stagger.

Hell Kaiser: LP 200

Jack: LP 2200

"Because of Fighting Spirits' effect," jack noted, "Your monster was not destroyed, just its equip card (ATK: 5300). But, in my next turn, I can power up my Dragon and win!"

"Except that there is no next turn, Jack!" Hell Kaiser sneered. "Trap Card: Synchro Halo!"

"Kisama! You planned this!" Jack realized, seeing the card flip up and Hell Kasier's monster glow.

"Exactly," Hell Kaiser confirmed. "Because I could not destroy your Savior Demon Dragon, this Trap lets me double its ATK (ATK: 10600) and attack again!"

"That much ATK?" Crow blurted. "Holy fuck!"

"That's Big Brother's true Duel!" Sho realized.

"Gale Rider, Destroy Savior Demon! Lance of the End!" Rising up, the dragon blasted towards the flying red dragon and the mount drew its sword, slashing the dragon and making a blast shoot down from the Dragon onto Jack. Before the dragon could be shattered, Jack roared out in anger as he fell.

Hell Kaiser: LP 200

Jack: LP 0

"Behold, King," Hell Kaiser instructed as his monster disappeared and Jack's burst into a beacon of light, slowly returning whence it came. "The Duel of the Cyber Style Heir!"

Staring at Hell Kaiser for a few seconds angrily, Jack finally smiled and walked over to his opponent, hand outstretched. "That's a true duel," the blond duelist said simply. "I say, as a true King, that you deserve your crown, Kaiser."

At that moment, Judai raised his hands and began clapping, and soon all the others began to follow suit. Nodding, Hell Kaiser turned to them happily and said, "Thank you for your help. Jack, I need one last favour of you."

"Yes?" Jack responded, slightly curious.

"That reporter friend of yours, Carly; tell her Hell Kaiser is ready for a comeback, and that he's willing to give her an interview." Jack acted slightly stunned at this comment, making the group smile in amusement.

* * *

Elsewhere, in a forest-like world, a man in a dark purple outfit composed of a belted trench coat, a black coat and pants, and a pair of gold-lined purple boots, with a Duel Disc strapped to his arm, could be seen walking to some undisclosed location. He had overtop of his outfit a dark grey cloak with the hood up, to cover his identity.

After a few minutes of walking, he reached a structure similar to a Mayan pyramid, albeit with five spires on the top of it. Three of them were different than the remaining two; they were taller and more ornate, and they were coloured light blue, dark red and bright red. At the top of the altar stood a tall blue-skinned figure in black, purple and gold armour-like robes and holding a sun-shaped staff fitted with a purple gem.

"The New Power has been invoked," the blue-skinned figure issued as the man reached the top of the stairs. "The Signers must finally have learned of its true potential."

"Again?" was the human's response as he pulled down his hood, revealing his gold eyes and dirty-blond hair. "Then all is coming true." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a single Duel Monsters card, a Synchro Monster, with no name, level, text or attribute. Instead, it only featured the image of an orange and grey four-winged dragon with red eyes.

"The new Fifth Signer has indeed been chosen, as you perceived," the blue-skinned figure stated solemnly. "The time is nigh to pass on that card to him, and he will make it his own."

"And set its tortured soul upon its true Master," the man stated, looking at the card. "No longer will the Signers be short their full power." Turning to the blue-skinned figure, he added, "Endymion, has my friend arrived yet?"

"I fear, Taiyou," was Endymion's reply, "That we cannot find Kyojo. However, I do indeed believe that he has returned to Domino, or Neo Domino as it is now known."

"Zero Reverse," Taiyou whispered in a saddened voice. "Damn thee, Rudger."

"All will come to pass that justice is restored, my apprentice. You must trust in me." With that Taiyou looked up at the five spires, seeing that each one had pictured on it one of the Five Dragons, but in addition the spires that were coloured each held a second monster above that: Savior Star above Stardust on the blue, Savior Demon above Red Daemon's on the dark red, and Savior Rose above Black Rose on the light red.

"I feel the time has come for me to resume my task allotted to me by Destiny," Taiyou said, turning away and pulling his hood back on. "Let me know when Kyojo is seen." When Endymion nodded, Taiyou started down the altar steps and into the forest.

* * *

"When will the project be ready?" a man dressed in a white robe asked to the image of a woman on a screen, sounding calm and collected as he did so.

"Within the hour," was the woman's reply. "Yliaster will soon have completely repaired the BAD into a usable state."

"Excellent, Yusuriha. You may proceed," the man said, turning the screen off. _"It's merely a matter of time now. Where the Brothers Godwin failed, we shall succeed..."_

* * *

Riding down the streets of Neo Domino, a man dressed in a black leather riding suit and operating a large dark red and black D-Wheel suddenly felt a vibration in his pocket and pulled over onto the shoulder. Dismounting, he pulled out his cell phone and answered with a Texan accent, "Hello?"

"_He's begun to make his move,"_ a female voice stated, prompting the man to smile.

"Thanks for the head's up," the man answered. "I'm in position when we're ready to begin."

"_As am I. We just need to get the Signers on board."_

"Why don't you leave that to me?" the rider asked. "I think you being with Yliaster, even undercover, might not go over well with how that group's rubbed them the wrong way and all."

"_Alright. I'll continue to keep things under wraps and under surveillance on my end."_

"I'd expect nothing less from someone as talented as you," the rider flattered.

"_Talk to you later."_ With that a beep on her end signaled the end of the call, and the man turned to his call list and picked out a number. After pressing the button, he smiled and waited until the person answered.

"Hey, Judai, it's me," the rider stated.

**Card of the Week – Hell Kaiser/Ryo**

**Dragunity Knight – Gale Rider**

**Attribute:** WIND

**Level:** 10

**Type(s):** [Dragon/Synchro/Effect]

**Effect:** 1 Dragon-type Tuner + 2 or more non-Tuner Bird-type monsters.

When this card is Synchro Summoned successfully, return all set cards on the field to their owners' Decks.

**ATK/** 3800

**DEF/** 2500

*Everything is set up for my next full-length fic, which I know will be a hit. Review if you wish.*


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